Like most statins, the most common side effects of pravastatin are headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, and abnormal liver tests. The most serious potential side effects are liver damage and muscle inflammation or breakdown.

Serious liver damage with statins is rare. More often, statins cause abnormalities of liver tests, and, therefore, periodic measurement of liver tests in the blood is recommended for all statins. Abnormal tests usually return to normal even if a statin is continued, but if the abnormal test is greater than three times normal, the statin usually is stopped. Liver tests should be measured before therapy is started, whenever the dose of the statin is increased, or if there is a medical concern. Measurement of liver tests is recommended with pravastatin even though in long-term studies abnormalities of liver tests with pravastatin was similar to a sugar pill.

Inflammation of the muscles caused by statins can lead to a serious breakdown of muscle cells called rhabdomyolysis. When used alone, statins cause rhabdomyolysis in less than one percent of patients. Rhabdomyolysis causes the release of muscle protein (myoglobin) into the blood. Myoglobin can cause kidney failure and even death. To prevent the development of rhabdomyolysis, patients taking statins, including pravastatin, should contact their healthcare provider immediately if they develop unexplained muscle pain, weakness, or tenderness. Since pravastatin prevents heart attacks, strokes and death, its benefit usually outweighs its serious but rare side effects

Hi Bucky,Iwas taking Zocor and it made my muscles so sore I could hardly get out of bed, I was taken off it and much later down the road I was given Pravastin 40mg to take within two weeks I started getting the same symptoms as I had with Zocor..Statins are bad for the body as a whole..so Now I have to rely on diet to lower my cholestrol..just my opinion